Another Strange Invention
by Soldier78
Summary: "The whole village raised their eyebrows, watching the two of them sweep across the floor of the Mead Hall. Hiccup had invented yet another strange thing - the Waltz." Hiccup/Astrid and look! No OCs! Please read and review!


**Um, so here's a one-shot. I've been posting a lot tonight because I was way behind and here's one the stories I worked on in my absence. Please enjoy this one-shot dedicated to Hiccup/Astrid solely. There are no OCs in this one but I am rather proud of how this one turned out. This was inspired by a sketch by inhonoredglory in deviantart and I credit 'glory with the last sentence which is a quote from the artist description. Please review and enjoy!**

**~Soldier78~  
**

Another Strange Invention

A Hiccup/Astrid one-shot

This is the Isle of Berk. Found on the meridian of misery, north of Hopeless and south of Freezing-To-Death, locates a village on the far side of the island. Harbors and piers embrace the Norse sea so vast. On the cliff, longhouses surround the stretches of grasslands and jutted up earth around. This village, bustles with not just human civilization but flying reptiles as well. Dragons of different breeds are either owned or free to fly and reside inside the town. With the bustling Vikings doing day to day chores and dragons roaming free, there is no such sight lively as this.

However, it was in its nine month calendar of snow. A new blanket of snow has covered the green fields of Berk. The village sheep were inside a warmer environment and some dragons have gone to become parents while some remain in the village but ritualize in a dragon-equivalent to hibernation.

Fortunately, the village was lively with anticipation of the Norse traditions of Jul. A time of celebration, a time to honor the Gods and a time to merry. One of Berk's outlying traditions was Snoggletog, a Berk-equivalent to a Christian's Christmas only without the nativity story. But yet, it was still a time to embrace the life a Berk Viking would have. It was a time to spend with family and friends, to seek warmth against the cold, fierce hands that winter grip without relent.

And this Jul was no exception.

Our story exploits a birth of an invention that would be the tradition of many years to follow. For we hear of it today, many times but yet remain clueless to the origins of this invention. And so, our story begins here.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a boy of many qualities. While he doesn't represent the traditional Viking with trunks for arms and barrels for torso, he remains unique. His qualities? Why, he's creative, clever, witty, has a different sense of humor. He has never been much appreciated in the darkness of the war against the Dragons, his slender body and odd inventions made no effort to end the war. Until, it was he who downed the most rare dragon of all. With one of this odd inventions, he shot a Night Fury down with much luck. To his joy, he found the dragon lying in ropes but then to his guilt, he couldn't dare slay the beast and he slit the ropes, freeing the dangerous reptile. He eventually befriended this creature and with another invention, replaced his tailfin that was unfortunately lost after the ropes captured him. And with many more inventions and cleverness, he ended the war. However, he paid a heavy price. He lost his leg but with many tweaks, he brandished a new prosthetic that serves him well to this day. And what more to add, the whole village looks up to him like a role model and true son of the Chief Stoick the Vast, his even more proud father.

Currently, we find Hiccup in the depths of the Forge. While his mentor is out preparing the celebration that would be tonight, he had to work on all the orders. Clearly the Vikings did not let up on their orders and Hiccup was swamped with crafting new weapons as gifts and repairing/sharpening old ones for daily use. He also had a lot of saddles and other dragon-related crafts to submerge himself to. He had absolutely no idea how he was going to finish this up if tomorrow was Snoggletog, the gift-giving day. Gobber promised him a day off if he got these jobs done today. Ever since the Dragon War ended, Gobber had been finding Hiccup's presence a little lighter than it used to be and he wasn't going to lose his apprentice just because he was a celebrity.

Hiccup sighed and stroked his forehead from the sweat accumulating. Though it was bitter cold outside, the shop was of sweltering heat. Hiccup hammered away, not-so-delicately, on an iron sheet made for a new sword. He hadn't realized that it was almost sundown by the time he finished three swords, an axe, and several different repairs.

"Hiccup?"

He craned his neck and saw a blonde female sauntering up to the counter of the store. It was his girlfriend of almost two years, Astrid Hofferson, the perfect example of a Viking. Her qualities? Tough, also smart, strong, beautiful and now, compassionate. She used to ignore Hiccup, she _didn't _call him names or insult him unlike the group of teenage Vikings she hung out with but she used to give a look of scorn up until he boldly kidnapped her after discovering his secret friendship with a dragon. He took her on a flight that shed the blanket of Viking fortitude and acquitted a Paradigm Shift. She began to see Hiccup with new view including a romance with the awkward teen.

Now his girlfriend was there. Her eyes stared at the boy.

"H-Hey Astrid." Hiccup had stammered. He lowered his hand with the hammer and Astrid walked into the entrance.

"It's almost time for the feast." Astrid stated. "Why are you still out here?"

Hiccup sighed, dreadfully.

"I'm...I...don't think I can make it tonight, Astrid." Hiccup said, honestly. He hated seeing the hurt expression on his partner's face.

"Why?" Astrid asked. She didn't appear to be fighting tears but she was sad.

"Gobber told me that if I want to have a day off tomorrow, I need to finish these orders." Hiccup informed as he returned back to the metal work. "He says I've been slacking off and he's kinda of right."

Astrid approached the anvil.

"How much work do you have left?"

Hiccup walked over to the cooling bucket and stuck in the sheet. They both could hear the sizzle of the hot and cold mix together.

"A lot." He said, sadly.

"But it's the holiday. It's Jul." Astrid reprimanded.

"I'm sorry, I really want to be there." Hiccup said. "I do. I want to spend the evening with you but if I want to-"

"Fine." Astrid interrupted, quickly and aggressively. Hiccup looked up at her and didn't know if he was supposed to tremble with the fiery glaze in her eyes or to sadly drop his head and return to work. "Fine, Hiccup, I'll see you tomorrow."

He wanted at least to make it up to her, a promise but with this much work, would he be able to keep even a harmless pledge? And before he could even express more words, she was gone like the wind. Hiccup exhaled again and lamented his absence in the festival inside the Mead Hall.

As he worked under the dim light of the Forge's coals and torch that hung off the wall, he could hear the roaring laughter and the sounds of music chorusing about. Either they were ballads or happy jigs, it still sounded great to Hiccup and badly did he want to leave his work to join the party.

At one point, he absently began to sway with the slow beat of a tune. His feet gently scraped against the stone floor of the Forge, making a funny pattern of footwork on the pavement. In his mind, the image of a crossed Astrid sitting lonely on a bench while others around drank, danced and celebrated. The melody was beautiful and probably came from another tribe across the Norse Sea of different heritage.

Hiccup never felt so dejected even before his true acceptance in the village. Maybe this time, it was the feeling of sadness because he actually had people who were fond of him, waiting for him to make his arrival. Especially a blonde female who he helplessly compared to a radiant Valkyrie. It hurt him more to know that his girlfriend was there, wishing the same thing as he, to be there to have a great time. It was Jul, the time of merriment, time of celebration and making new memories.

The song had drifted to an end with a beautiful close and Hiccup stopped his work for a short break. He dropped his hand again and it hung weightlessly as he stared, woefully, at the new axe blade he had molded. Double-bladed, similar to the weapon that his girlfriend nonchalantly carried around. It was one of the things he admired and remembered when it came to her. Her axe that could be the extension of her arm and plunge so swiftly into the base of a trunk that could stun any other Viking but enchant a Hiccup with unhidden attraction.

It was at that moment he had decided. He finished up with the axe and had it cooled down before setting it down on the table. With both hands, he untied his apron. He plucked his fur vest off of the nail and replaced it with the smock. He casually slipped on his animal-hide and marched out of the Forge after dousing the flames, hoping that it would die down from the lack of puffing and from the breezy wind.

He stomped up to the great doors of the Great Hall. He squeezed through the slim opening and found the festival still crowded. He scanned the tables that were pushed aside to give room for dancing. His neck twisted around as he looked for her. His prosthetic squeaked with each step but wasn't heard because music and laughter were octaves louder.

As the current musical number finished, there was a slight break before Hiccup heard another composition. This one was more tranquil than the one he had overheard in the workshop. The instruments were playing louder and had a new tone of sweetness. Hiccup could feel the rhythm and looked down at his feet. The room for dancing was cleared as the dancers were taking a break to guzzle down a pint of the finest ale or sweetest mead and to banter with other Vikings about their footwork.

Then, Hiccup spotted her. As he suspected, she was sitting alone in a chair. One hand propped up against the table next to her, her cheek resting against the closed fist. Her downcast blue eyes glued to the floor. Her face was expressionless to probably Snotlout, another Viking, but to Hiccup, he knew she was forlorn and he couldn't feel more responsible for it. Quickly, he squared his shoulders and marched up to her.

Astrid spotted a hand in her line of vision and she looked up. In utter surprise, she saw Hiccup standing there with his charming lopsided grin and beaming emerald eyes.

"Hiccup?"

"Take my hand." He ordered, gently but confidently. Astrid looked at him, puzzled but Hiccup reached over and seized her own hand. She was brought up to her feet and he guided her to the dance floor. The tune was still playing quite loudly and there was no indication of ending soon. Astrid noticed that intrigued eyes were on her and him.

"Hiccup, what are you-"

"Sh..." He hushed with his finger on her lips. He took one of her small hands and placed it onto his shoulder and he wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her in closely. He then took her other hand with his own and began to sway.

"Hiccup, I don't know how to-"

"Just follow my lead." He whispered to her. Astrid looked down and watched his feet shuffle about. One foot went back and she followed with the opposite foot as if it felt natural. He began to do more of this shuffling, moving back and forth and from side to side.

Vikings around gathered at the odd new dance. They watched the couple sweep across the floor and they watched Hiccup lift his arm and Astrid gracefully turn under his guidance. They then pulled in closer, close enough that their faces could be touching and, yet, continued to dance. There were wide grins on the dancers' faces, both of enamored with each other's eyes. The band struck the tune louder and the pair did more elaborate turns and movements without missing a beat.

The whole village raised their eyebrows, watching the two of them sweep across the floor of the Mead Hall. Hiccup had invented yet another strange thing - the Waltz.

The End.

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